Calling writers and artists to submit their work to The Deeper Truth.

The Deeper Truth is a newspaper featuring poetry, prose, and visual art. Conceived as performance art, it offers what we least expect from a newspaper: beauty, introspection, and wonder. The Deeper Truth creates a moment of curiosity and surprise that shifts attention away from the everyday noise of life and opens our perspective to the expanse of possibility present in every moment.

Guidance for written submissions

Poetry, short poetic prose, and essays are welcome. Work that fits this space is introspective — drawn from truths the author has found in themselves and in the world – think: “this what I’ve learned / observed,” rather than “this is how it is.”

All subject matter is welcome, provided the writing is honest and leans toward healing, connecting, and revealing deeper truths about ourselves and the world. Explicitly political pieces should feel remarkably different from messages we receive from a regular newspaper; a successful submission would take the reader inside a human experience, where a political reality becomes personal and true in a way the reader may never have felt before.

Poems should generally be no more than 30-40 lines; prose and essays around 500 words or less.

Multiple submissions are welcome – up to three pieces by a single author may be featured in one edition.

Submissions in languages other than English are also welcome.

Guidance for visual art submissions

Accepted formats include photography, painting, digital images, and 3D work (submitted as photos), but all visual media is welcome. Alternatively, submit a portfolio link and I’ll select pieces that resonate with the featured written work.  As with written work, multiple submissions are welcome.

The minimum pixel requirement is 2000 x 1500 and the preferred file format is JPEG or flattened PDF.

Other submission types

The Deeper Truth strikes a playful note as well. Submissions that riff on standard newspaper formats are welcome — such as comic strips, advertisements, puzzles, and games. Think: something that looks like an ad at first glance, but reveals something unexpected underneath.  Headline suggestions are also welcome; a good one can set the tone for an entire issue.

As with visual art, the minimum pixel requirement is 2000 x 1500 and the preferred file format is JPEG or flattened PDF.

How to submit

Use the submission form at the bottom of this page: arayintheworld.com/the-deeper-truth

Or email your work to r.ellis.bloch@protonmail.com

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. All submissions will receive a response.

Rights

Contributors retain ownership of their work. Submitting grants The Deeper Truth a non-exclusive license to publish the work in print and digital formats, including archives and promotional use. Submissions may be previously published or unpublished, and may be published elsewhere before or after appearing in The Deeper Truth. Simultaneous submissions are also welcome.

Credit

All accepted work is published with a byline including the contributor’s name, location, and a link to their work or contact information. Contributors also have the option to publish anonymously.

In The Deeper Truth, we play with expectations and seek – with every aspect of the publication – to reveal something more profound. So, our bylines are a little different. Instead of the standard byline, “Author Name lives and writes in City, State,” we might instead say something like:

“Author Name is on a human journey that currently unfolds in City, State. Find more of their work at [link].”

Or: “Author Name is borrowed atoms, arranged beautifully, in City, State. Find more of their work at [link].”

Feel free to propose your own creative byline – just include your name, location, and a link or contact information. Or share your details and I will suggest one.